Law firms launch Ticketmaster, Tesco and Glencore group actions

Law firms have announced group actions against Ticketmaster, Tesco and Glencore in the past two days.

Liverpool data breach and cybercrime specialist Hayes Connor solicitors has begun work on the action against Ticketmaster after a significant data breach was announced on 27 June 2018.

The breach is believed to have affected the payment and personal details of customers who either bought, or attempted to buy, tickets via Ticketmaster between February and June this year.

Kingsley Hayes, managing director at Hayes Connor, said: “More than 200 affected consumers have registered their details with us since the Ticketmaster breach was announced and we are receiving many more enquiries daily.

“Ticketmaster was informed of the breach in April by digital bank Monzo but was unacceptably slow to act to protect its customers’ interests…

“The group action is still in its early days as investigations into the extent of the breach unfold and will be progressed on a no-win, no-fee basis. We expect that the number of consumers registering with us will continue to grow with an average of £5,000 in compensation anticipated per claim depending on the nature and severity of the breach involved.”

Mr Hayes aid claimants were entitled to claim compensation for any psychological injuries suffered following a breach of their personal data alongside the potential, and actual, financial losses incurred.

Hayes Connor has instructed Louis Browne QC and Ian Whitehurst of Exchange Chambers, to advise on the case.

Hayes Connor is already pursuing a group action against Facebook over the personal details of 50m users being harvested by the social media giant and Cambridge Analytica.

It is also representing more than 100 consumers following the Equifax data breach.

Meanwhile, Leigh Day has lodged 1,000 equal pay claims against the supermarket Tesco on behalf of female members of staff in what is potentially the largest ever equal pay challenge in UK history.

The London and Manchester firm, which first announced the action in February, said the action could cost the supermarket giant £4bn in compensation to workers. It said it has also received thousands more enquiries.

Paula Lee, one of the lawyers handling the Tesco claims, said: “We’ve had an incredible response to the announcement of this legal action. Many proud members of staff have realised that this claim is not anti-Tesco, but it is to ensure that the work done in stores and distribution centres is recognised as being of equal value.”

Leigh Day said its research has found that people working in the predominantly male-dominated Tesco distribution centres may earn in excess of £11 an hour, whilst the most common grade for store staff sees them receive around £8 per hour.

“This means a full-time distribution worker completing the same number of hours, earns over £100 a week or £5,000 a year more than female-based store staff.”

Leigh Day is also representing over 20,000 shop-floor workers in equal pay claims against Sainsbury’s and ASDA.

A potential shareholder action against commodities trader and marketer Glencore is being investigated by US firm Quinn Emanuel following public disclosure that it is involved in active bribery and corruption probes on both sides of the Atlantic. The claim is being backed by litigation funder Innsworth.

It emerged in May that the Serious Fraud Office was planning to seek formal approval for a probe into Glencore’s dealings in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where Glencore is heavily invested.

Then last week, Glencore announced that its US subsidiary had received a subpoena from the US Department of Justice to produce records in relation to its compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and US money laundering laws in its Nigerian, DRC and Venezuelan operations.

Both events, particularly the latter, have wiped billions off the company’s share value on the London Stock Exchange. It also has a secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

Richard East, Quinn Emanuel’s co-managing partner in London, said: “We are of the view that Glencore shareholders may be entitled to bring claims in England under the terms of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 in order to seek compensation for losses caused by Glencore’s alleged untrue or misleading statements and/or failures to disclose relevant information to the market.”

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